frogblog » slime http://blog.greens.org.nz hopping along the corridors of power Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:50:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Giant, Mucus-Like Sea Blobs on the Rise http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/10/14/giant-mucus-like-sea-blobs-on-the-rise/ http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/10/14/giant-mucus-like-sea-blobs-on-the-rise/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:00:49 +0000 frog http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=6946 The latest climate change boogeyman fits the bill on all levels. It’s big, it’s slimy, it’s scary, and it’s on the increase because of rising temperatures due to climate change.

giant-sea-mucus-blobs_big

I’ve encountered these babies myself while diving, and they are most unpleasant. Nati0nal Geographic has written them up in all their glory:

Up to 124 miles (200 kilometers) long, the mucilages appear naturally, usually near Mediterranean coasts in summer. The season’s warm weather makes seawater more stable, which facilitates the bonding of the organic matter that makes up the blobs (Mediterranean map).

Now, due to warmer temperatures, the mucilages are forming in winter too—and lasting for months.

Watch the movie, and quiver!

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